The Future of the Republic

We are planning our projects for the year.  Would you like to chime in on what work should be our priority?   Serving baked goods and ice creams in our TC store too?  Getting pies baked in Ann Arbor?  Offering tours and contests in Glen Arbor?  A Cherry Republic in Shanghai or Washington DC?  Sound off in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

What is a good project for Cherry Republic?  It has to be exciting.  We should be pumped up about it before we even start.  That’s the energy that will carry us through to the finish.  And this chance to query our customers before we start– if they are excited– that will further motivate us! So, without going too deep into Cherry Republic’s philosophy about projects– let’s give you a chance to list out some things you’d love to see us do.

Glen Arbor is the spot I find most exciting to do projects and my list is long.  We have the little woods to the south of our Great Hall.  On the list is to create a big wild rock labyrinth in that woods.  We hope to continue the rock wall that will go all around the property and are looking for cool things to work into the wall like cannons and catapults.  I have this fire hydrant that I hope to set right by the wall with a sign on the wall that says “Dog Bathroom Area:  #1 only please.”  And we see a need for more whimsical art, especially the kind that is interactive.  Anything funny and whimsical that you’d like to see us do?  P.S. I have a funny surprise in store for this summer!

There are other things to do.  We need to expand our Great Hall.  One idea is to switch some storage over to a retail nook for an expanded soft goods and logo line of cherry body care products, logo beach towels, bumper stickers, iphone covers.  We also hope to expand the cafe counter and switching out the old signs to something more organized and easy to understand.

And then, there are the fun activities to organize.  Our talent shows and treasure hunts are a big hit.  What if we get even more exotic?  How about family tree climbing?  How about a cherry harvest tour?  This might be the year we hire a person solely focused on creating fun interactions with our customers.  Any thoughts here?

In our Traverse City Embassy, we hope to invest in some major projects.  Starting with moving our bakery production to the back of our space which is presently unused.  We also hope to change the facade and do a full makeover of the present retail area.  We are really in the brainstorming stage so any suggestions of places to check out where dining and shopping are intermingled would be appreciated.  Harrods of London has a great feel.  I like how the Rainforest Cafe has the dining behind the shopping. Tommy Bahama separates dining and shopping in a classy way.  They need to be evenly balanced, but what do you think?

In Ann Arbor, we are looking for projects to get more connected to the community.  We believe that we can be great ambassadors for the wonderful lands and agriculture in northern and lower Michigan.  We are going to focus our donations on helping connect the two important regions.  Like helping kids go to camp up north and grad students doing research up north.  We hope to act like a trade and travel delegation from up north.  And when visitors come in the Ann Arbor store, we want it to feel like a vacation to the woods and lakes and orchards of northern Michigan.  Any thoughts?